Hi, I've been thinking about planting a peach tree as a little memorial to a late friend, who was from georgia. The only thing I'm a little worried about is the conditions. I want to grow it initially in a pot out the front area of our house. It's fairly sunny but the weather here in New Zealand is also very seasonal and teh front part of our house is relatively exposed. Any advice???
I think that is a great idea :-D I don't know anything about peach trees though :-? Someone here will be able to advise you I planted lilac bushes in our cemetery plot in memory of my grandma but the deer loved them
Hi Stratsmom, well at least maybe your grandmother got to watch some nice deer eating away at her memorial lilacs! I take it peach trees aren't really an oregon native then?
Hi ChickenFarmer, I'm from Georgia and think that your idea is great. I know that peaches need fairly cold temperatures to grow and I found this site that has some good information on growing them. I hope it helps. http://www.harvestwizard.com/2009/08/ho ... aches.html
Peach, or for that matter the whole prunus family need the right number of chilling hours. I'm a USAian, so I don't know the New Zealand equivalent to ask. Here it would be the agricultural extension (USDA). Your department should be able to suggest the cultivars that work in your area. Shop at the local arborist with that list. Peach grow in a large number of zones. I know peach are grown successfuly from central New Hampshire (zone 4) to the delta of Louisiana (zone 9). So, knowing the right number of chilling hours will lead to successful bloom. All prunus can be pot trained. You will need a soil that will look rather like bonsai soil; IE one part coarse sand, and one part bark fines. Peach have larger leaves, your going to be building what amounts to a 4-hand bonsai. As in 8 to 15 gallons of soil. It will work.
